DDCA case: Jaitley, Vishwas granted exemption from personal appearance

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and AAP leader Kumar Vishwas were today granted exemption from personal appearance for the day by a city court in a criminal defamation case filed by the BJP leader against the AAP member. The other accused in the case -- Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and AAP members Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh and Deepak Bajpai -- were acquitted by the court on April 3 after Jaitley accepted their apologies for their statements against him in connection with alleged irregularities in the DDCA. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal granted the exemption after Jaitley's advocate Manik Dogra moved an application, saying the BJP leader was undergoing treatment and was unable to appear before the court today.

Appearing for Vishwas, advocate Mohd Irshad also moved an application citing prior engagements and sought exemption from personal appearance for the day. The court accepted their applications and posted the matter for May 11. Jaitley had accused the AAP leaders of making a series of "false, scandalous and defamatory" allegations against him, claiming it adversely affected his reputation.

Vishwas has not tendered an apology and hence, the proceedings against him would continue. The AAP leaders had alleged financial irregularities in the DDCA when Jaitley was its president from 2000 to 2013, prompting the minister to lodge a defamation case against them while denying all the allegations.